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What’s the story?
Barcelona are keen on signing Philippe Coutinho, but the biggest problem in that is no longer agreeing a deal with Liverpool. The clubs might come to an agreement eventually, but the Catalan side will have a tough decision to make even after that.
Ivan Rakitic will leave Barcelona if the club signs Coutinho as per reports in Daily Star. The Croatian is not willing to settle on the bench and will look to move away in search of a regular spot in the starting XI.
In case you didn’t know...
Barcelona's interest in signing Coutinho is a known fact to all. The Catalan side were desperate to sign him in the summer, but Liverpool were reluctant to sell him.
Reports suggest that the Spanish side will make another move for him in January. Liverpool are reportedly set to accept the bid and let the Brazilian leave as well.
The heart of the matter
Ernesto Valverde has a tough task coming up. Reports suggest that Ivan Rakitic has informed the manager that he will leave the club if they sign Philippe Coutinho.
He's not willing to be on the bench and is looking to move to a club where he can play regularly. The midfielder is not willing to fight for his spot and believes that the manager would opt for the new signing as the club will inevitablysign him for a huge amount.
What’s next?
Barcelona have two things to do now: convince Rakitic to stay and also convince Liverpool to sell Rakitic. The Catalan side have problems mounting with the biggest one being the renewal of Leo Messi's contract and then the hunt to get fund for the renovation of Camp Nou.
Author’s Take
Raktic will definitely not be starting for Barcelona once they sign Coutinho. The man reason they are signing the Brazilian is that Valverde is not happy with the current midfielders. But where will Rakitic move to? Sevilla? Juventus? Premier League?
